


Risky Business

by Slends



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Camping, Other, challenge, drugs?, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slends/pseuds/Slends
Summary: Ever since They were a child, They'd wanted to fix the wrongs done in the past. They were not prepared, for just what that would entail.
Collections: Gaster's Followers December 2020





	Risky Business

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here's this...prequel story. Courteously provided by the challenge prompt of Gaster's Followers for December.

Everything changed after that day. It was an irrefutable truth of their world, born of the vows made between children under a starry sky. Looking back, sometimes They would wonder if They couldn't have gone about things differently. If They had made different choices along the way, would things have ended up for the better, or for the worse?

It was early summer, with the sun hanging high in the sky. They had awoken late into that lazy afternoon, groggily rolling over to where sunlight crept through drawn curtains. The light beckoned to them, drawing them languidly from the mists of sleep. Their room came into view first, walls painted crimson and decorated with various band posters. A dream catcher hung from the curtains, tapped securely to the dark drapes. Just below it, a note with large letters scrawled in messy handwriting. 

T O D A Y 

A surge of energy came with those words, as the last of sleep was shaken off abruptly. Today was finally the day things started. Throwing off the sheet they'd slept with, they ran with a sudden surge of excitement towards their bedroom door, throwing the thick oak open, and making a beeline for the bathroom. They had to shower! To start the day! 

A loud yelp was heard seconds before They collided squarely with another body. 

"Richard! Watch where you're going." Lifting Their gaze, They frowned up at their eldest sister, who had her arms crossed over her chest, scowling at Them. Almyra was dressed in a casual turtleneck, and loose fitting slacks. The twenty-nine year-old's straight black hair was pulled up and back into a pony-tail, giving her the air of a particularly snooty classroom teacher. She even sported the speckles to keep the look going. If she was here, she must have had the day off.

Pity. 

"Sorry," They offered half-heartedly, "I'm just excited."

"Yes, your little camping trip." the way she said those words, like she was disappointed in Them, made Them frown. More so because They knew that disappointed was rooted in blame towards their shared Sister. "Don't let your studies slack. You're on track to graduate top of your class Ric--"

"I'm not even in my class anymore." They cut her off, before she could say that name again. They'd grown to hate it. "I'm in the Senior's Class. I'll graduate top of my class no matter what I do, because they're not graduating this year."

"Your class is now the senior class. Have some pride. I skipped grades as well, and so did Octavian. Three out of four isn't so bad, right?" They grit their teeth at the count, frowning sharply. They could have honestly graduated already if they'd really tried. Out of spite, they'd failed some courses on purpose...and been made to work through them over the summer for Their trouble. 

"All work and no play, fries the brain Myra." with Their right hand, they pulled down the lid of their right eye at the same time they stuck out their tongue, before running off. They had to get their day started, and no stick in the mud older sister was going to keep Them from it. 

They ran into the bathroom, and locked the door securely behind them, stripping out of Their pants and undergarments recklessly. A few button presses on their shower, and a rain of heat water came down to greet them, and wash away the bad taste in their mouth from their exchange with Myra. 

It wasn't really her fault--They'd never told her Themselves. They'd kind of just hoped...she'd figure it out. Myra was incredibly intelligent...just...perhaps not the sharpest socially. Come to think of it, Octavian, Their older brother, also wasn't that socially sharp. Maybe that's why the two got on so well. 

It didn't matter.

Today was the day. 

"When I'm bigger, stronger...I'm going back for them. I'm gonna free them all." 

That was what Frisk had told all of them, the day they came back to school after going missing for weeks. They had come back telling a tale of Monsters under the mountain. No matter how much they were teased, or mocked, they held fast in their statement. It was as much a truth to them, as it was that the ocean had fish swimming amongst it, or that the leaves on the trees were a brilliant green. Frisk was Determined that the others know it as their truth too. 

Frisk enchanted them with stories of battles, of Monsters who were kind, and would laugh. Of foes who were scary and wanted their Soul. Of killer robots, and an underground so expansive you could walk for a whole day and never reach the end. Of forest covered in snow, and magma lined cities. Of waterfalls cutting their way through caverns, bioluminescent mushrooms lighting the way through the darkness. Of skeletons that came in different sizes and shapes. Of fish and lizards that were almost too animated to be believed. Of bunnies with warm hearths, and frogs that told stories. It was inspiring, but...the longer they told these stories, the less and less people believed them. In the end, only the inner circle of their friend group stayed with them. They swore a promise together--that they would all go and free the Monsters stuck underground. 

"If the rest of the world turns a blind eye, we will not." Eliza had sworn, vocalizing their feelings with such earnestly and honesty that the rest of them could not help but be moved. It was not a feeling that ever truly waned, even as they grew in age and began to follow different ways. 

Eliza, Frisk, and K where all sophomores in Highschool, each with their own separate aspirations and goals, separate from what their families expected of them, or in Eliza's case in line with what was expected of them. 

They were the only one of the group classified as a Senior this coming year. That made it absolutely vital that their plan be initiated as soon as possible. They knew They would not have time to spare to give aide if it did not happen that summer. 

The water from the shower grew chilled, as Their hand fumbled with the buttons to turn it off. The rest of preparations flew by, and they had little to pack as They'd the foresight to pack most of what was needed already. They were back in Their room, reaching under their bed as they sought to grab one last trinket before they left. A knock sounded at the door, barely audible against the thick oak. Hands grasped firmly around the piece of paper and box attached therein, as the knock sounded again. 

"Be there in a minute Sam." They called, because with a knock that soft against the door it could only be her. They slid the two items into Their bookbag, and slung the bag over Their shoulder, secure in it's weight. Pulling back the thick oak, they were unsurprised when they were indeed greeted by Sam's visage. 

Slight of frame, and a fair bit taller than They, Sam was a wispy figure. She was growing out her hair again, and the blonde locks fell oddly heavy around her narrow face. The clothes she wore were baggy at a glance, but at closer inspection, they were simply layered. Layers upon layers. She wore a soft smile and had genuine warmth in her gaze as she waved at him. Despite that warmth, she couldn't hide from Them how she looked askance, never quite meeting their gaze. Her arms were crossed over her body slightly in discomfort. She was nervous, as usual. 

"You ready to go Risky Boots?" the nickname that rolled off her lips made Them smile, even as They rolled Their eyes dramatically. 

"They were great shoes, and you can't sway my mind." the giggle that rolled off her lips almost made Them frown. Why was she still nervous? "I'm super ready. Are the others here?"

"About that." They stilled as they gave Sam their full, undivided attention. She shifted again, a hand coming up to tug at an odd strand of hair. 

"What--" the words were barely out of their mouth when a blur of motion rushed past Sam, tackling Them to the ground. It took a few moments of orientation before They recognized the form above them. Frisk.  
The teen had a hand on either side of Their head, and were adorned in a purple and blue long-sleeved shirt, in compliment to Their own black and red one. Brown hair was kept at shoulder length shag most days, while their eyes gleamed an enthralling shade of scarlet--some kind of genetic mutation which had allowed both children to get into all manner of trouble. 

"Gotcha!" Frisk half exclaimed, half laughed out the words as they rose themselves to be straddling Them, freeing their hands, which signed certain words habitually, even as they spoke. "I wanted to wake you earlier, but your sister said you were up late preparing and to let you sleep. We bought you breakfast!"  
"We can eat on the way," Sam's quiet voice injected before They could speak, "We're already running a little late. Cabin's been rented for four days. At this rate, we'll need one whole day just to get there--it's on the opposite side of the city." 

Frisk and They shared a look, before both teens pushed to their feet and grabbed a bag each of Theirs. It took a few minutes for Their father's SUV to be loaded fully with all the teen's packings, and Sam's. Eliza was already waiting in the car, earbuds in as she bobbed her head to the music. K was leaning against the car, arms crossed, and leering up at one of the windows. When They followed with their own gaze, they realized just who K was leering at--Myra stood in the second story window--the study--watching them pack. 

They stuck their tongue out at her, before sliding into the car. 

"Risky Boots, you're in charge of music." Sam called as They hoped into the front seat beside her. They picked up her phone, and scrolled through her playlists, settling on something ambient, and magical. A soundtrack from one of her liked movies no doubt. 

And with that...they were off. Guilt tugged lightly at Their Soul, but They had to bring Justice to the wronged. Fun was just a bonus. 

***

It took the better part of the afternoon to transverse Ebbot City--their group just managed to catch the Rush Hour traffic. Once they were clear of the city however, it was smooth sailing. They reached Krewell Camping grounds by mid evening. Sam took care of the paperwork, and set up. The cabin they were renting was an old log cabin, complete with a green tinted roof, and it was at the very back of the encampment, farthest away from the other cabins and events. Latrines were close by, but there was a flushable toilet in the cabin itself. Which was a blessing, as Eliza did not want to use the Latrines. 

That evening, after dropping off their items haphazardly, the five of them used purchased firewood to build a small fire, around which they sat. Sam, with help from the cooler of drinks and her mesh kit, set about making them hot chocolate, while K and Frisk acquired the kabobs for smores. At some point, during their marshmallow roasting Frisk accidently knocked K's marshmallow off their kabob, leading to an animated 'sword' fight between the two teens, over which Sam and Eliza both shared a few giggles. At one point, Frisk took a knee, clutching at their arm dramatically where K had landed a hit. 

"Do you yield, sir?" K's tone was in mimicry of a knight as he squared his shoulders and smiled. 

"Tis but a flesh wound." a loud bark of laughter left Sam as Frisk surged to their feet, metal clanging as the two kabobs collided. Eventually, Eliza pulled out the headphones from her iPod, and allowed the battle music she'd been privately enjoying to enhance the scene before them all. A smiled crossed Their lips as Their friends went back and forth, the both of them panting by the end of it all. 

They didn't remember falling asleep. 

They woke up in the bottom bunk of one of the beds sometime in the daylight. There was the faintest inkling of their dream, whispering at the edges of their mind. Lot's of Red...and violence. Dust. K's oval face came into view, drawing Their brain further into consciousness. K loomed over Them with a mischievous glint in his eyes. It took Their sleep-clouded mind a moment to realize just why that mischief was there, until the feeling of water overcame Them. An empty glass no rested in K's hand, alongside the shit-eating-grin on his face. 

"Kara, you're dead!" They shouted, lunging forward from Their bed--sheets tangling around their ankles and K laughed manically, darting away and just missing Their grasping hands. The two of them thudded through the cabin as K managed to elude their grasp. 

"Frisk, they're awake now!" K cried as he ran out the front door. He didn't make it more than a few inches from the steps before They launched Themselves from the stairs and landed wholly atop him, sending them both to the ground with a shout.

"Die." They stated emotionless before taking their now drenched hair, and dragging it across the front of K's face, and shirt as he shouted dramatically beneath Them about murder, and remembering him as he was. Laughter echoed in the air. 

"That's enough you two." Sam's voice echoed a moment before thin arms wrapped under Their armpits, gentling nudging them off Their friend. "I need you both alive to break the tie. Frisk wants to go swimming. Eliza wants to go zip-lining. K doesn't care, but he's been known to be a swing-vote. So...Risk, what'cha want to do?" Sam gazed down at Them quizzically, arms already retracted to be crossed across her chest. K continued to lay on the ground. 

"Why not..." They took a dramatic pause as Their hand came to stroke at Their chin in mimicry of deep thought. "Zip-line, then food?"

"A person of reason!" K piped up almost the second They finished Their proposal. Eliza made a huff of protest in the distance, and Sam let out one of her nervous giggles. "We should find time to go hiking too today."

"I suppose...they are close enough together on the map. If, everyone is okay with it, I suppose..." Sam looked between the four teenagers, then sighed. 

They grinned. 

***

"Absolutely not." 

"It'll be fun."

"Nope. No way. This is for you guys. I am chaperone. Along for the ride to watch and maybe catch you if you fall."

"But Sam," Eliza's voice cut into the sibling's discussion like a honey trap being set by a beehive, "It would make me feel better about doing it too if you did it with us?" She even put on the large doe eyes she would use on every single teacher to get the rest of them out of trouble. Sam was a kindly person most days, and had an incredibly hard time saying no to begin with. 

They knew she was through when she started biting her lower lip, and looking askance. A curse was muttered under her breath, as Eliza jumped for joy. 

"Yay!!!"

"Only the one time. I know this is Frisk and K's fifth, but I'm only doing it the once!" Sam emphasized her words but holding up her finger and leaning forward to be closer to Eliza's height. Eliza merely grinned wider, her brown ponytail swinging widely as she bounced in place. 

The three of them entered into the line, Frisk and K a couple spots ahead of them. When the two glanced back and saw that They had been successful in persuading Their sister, they both gave thumb's up and a grin. Sam pouted slightly, and They noticed her legs were shaking. She always had been bad about psyching herself out. 

"Hey, remember that time I spilled wine over mom's good shirt?" Sam gazed down at Them with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes?"

They launched into a theatrical retelling of just how that had happened, which encouraged Sam to in turn, share her own stories. The two of them fell into amicable banter of this nature, for the rest of the line as they slowly progressed forward in it. The top of the Zip was positioned atop a rather tall hill, with the mostly wooden and metal structure becoming a prominent visual marker amongst the trees. The line, itself, went out and away, going over said trees for quite the ways, as it met with the other tower positioned just a bit into the nearby vale. 

The operators of the Line helped Eliza into her harness first, making sure to tuck her dress securely into harness that would catch her should she fall. Their friend looked equal parts terrified as she did excited. Her eyes were wide, and her grip on the harness ironclad. 

"Ready?" Eliza paused a moment, before taking a deep breathe, and nodding. "Alright. Here we go." They helped her with a push, and the line was off, taking her with it at highspeed. As she was halfway through her journey, They watched as she let go with one hand and let out the most delightful 'Woooo' They'd ever heard her make. It made Them smile wide. She was having fun. 

They shifted eagerly in place, looking up to Sam who was starting to physically sweat now. Following her gaze They realized she was looking down, specifically at the gap in the trees where the vale was most visible in how it dipped. 

"You'll be fine. You survived major surgery, remember?" They whispered up to her, encouragingly. She let out a nervous chuckle in place of words, and in response They slipped Their hand into hers, holding it tight. "Think of how you'll get to tell Myra and the Octopus how Brave you were?"

A snort this time, followed by a more genuine sounding laugh. 

"A hollow victory..." she tightened her grip on Their hand. "How about a deal? A goal for me to focus on."  
"Sure."

"You tell Allie. She won't figure it out on her own. I see how it bothers you. I do this, and don't scream, and you let Allie know. Deal?"

They frowned, a bit taken aback. Their grip loosened for a moment, as images of Their interactions with Myra of late flashed through Their mind. Would she really care?

"She does care about you. In her own Allie way. She cares for you and Tavien both. Give it some thought, at least. Yeah?"

"I promise to think about it." They conceded, drawing a sigh from her. 

"Good enough, I suppose." She shook her head, taking a shaky breath, before nudging Them forward.  
They slipped into the harness shortly after. It felt, looser than they thought it would. Their hand shot out to the attendant's forearm drawing their attention. They beckoned them closer with Their finger. 

"Make sure it's tighter for my sister. She's scared of heights, but doing this for me. Please?" They whispered, working up their best pleading face. The attendant, quirked a single eyebrow, glanced towards Sam where she looked pale, and nodded.  
"Sure thing bud. You ready?"

"Born ready!" 

"Alright. Have fun." They jumped, as the attendant gave them a small push. Air rushed by them, blowing hair away from Their face. Even through Their jacket, the wind felt cold. Their stomach rushed up to be in their throat, and their mouth grew wide into a smile. This was, absolutely, amazing. They were a bird, soaring through the sky! They'd have to take the Monsters here once they were free. This was way too amazing. 

"I'm king of the world!!" They exclaimed as they reached the halfway point, both hands raising above Their head as They closed Their eyes. It felt, amazing. Freeing. They felt full, and complete in a way They hadn't before.  
All too quickly, it was at an end. When Their legs met the wooden planks of the platform, They were surprised at how badly they were shaking. Apparently the body didn't agree with the feeling of absolute Freedom. The attendant at this stand helped Them out of Their harness, and smiled at Them. 

"You did good kid. Your friends are just over there. Go join 'em." The attendant waved, before turning their attention back towards the line, and reaching up towards the radio on their shoulder. 

They made Their way over towards the other teens, who were excitedly chattering. As They approached, they turned to Them and cheered. Frisk signed something too quickly for Them to translate, while Eliza proclaimed that this was waaaay better than swimming. 

"I'm glad we're having fun, but let's remember. This is all training." Frisk's tone grew a bit somber, as they watched something just behind Them. It...drained a bit of the thrill, and had Them flushing slightly with Guilt. 

A silence fell over their group, as the four of them recalled what they would need. 

"Risk..." Frisk began, hands moving as they spoke. "Give Eliza your first aid kit. She forgot hers." 

"How'd you know?" all three turned to look at Frisk, as Eliza voiced her surprise. Her features quickly turned to a scowl. "Were you looking through my things?"

Frisk was silent a moment, before they pulled a bit of hair out of the way of their scarlet eyes.  
"I happened a glance. I wasn't looking on purpose."

"I can split it with her. When we get back, before we leave, we can all sit down and make a list proper." They offered.  
"But your sister--"

"We can distract her. Or she'll distract herself. We'll make it work."

"Eliza and I can distract her food preparation, and ideas for tomorrow's activities while you two hike, and retrace Frisk's steps. We'll find the entrance, and that will be that." K interjected, sounding for all the world resolute and confident. 

Four heads nodded in agreement, each one holding their own level of determination, but none more than Frisk. 

***

It was fairly easy to convince Their sister to let the two teens wander on their own. The benefits of growing up, They supposed...or perhaps it was just the trust Sam had in the two of them to come back safely. That thought, more than the other, shot a pang of Guilt through Their Soul. It was Guilt that went unnoticed by Frisk who steadily wandered the paths, eyes scrunched in concentration.

Eitherway, she'd only insisted on making them both a simple sandwich each, and send them forward with those, chips, bottles of water, and a wave. There was also a light jest about being back before dinner, or she would feed all the food to K and Eliza instead. 

The two of them had taken to the trails shortly after, and kept a small map of where they turned, and how far they trekked. A couple hours passed before Frisk started signing something away from Them, before their voice picked up the sentence halfway through it's structure. 

"Somewhere...close. This looks familiar."

"What does? That tree," They gestured towards the thick oak with vines weaving their way up towards the canopy, "Looks just like that one over there." They gestured towards another oak, with just as many vines winding their way up towards the canopy. 

"Not the trees..." Frisk answered, bending down to point at something. 

They honestly didn't get what they were looking for. Not at first. The ground, like every other part of this trail, surged upward sharply with the path cutting its way shoddily along the edges of the land, providing challenge to those who wanted it. There were fleshes of red coloring periodically throughout the greens and browns, where flowers had started blooming. A bit of yellow too. The longer They looked at the yellow though, the more they realized that there was something...strange about the flower. It looked...off somehow. 

"The flowers?"

"There were a bunch of yellow ones like that, growing around the hole I fell into." Frisk explained quickly, going off trail to take a closer look. "I'll bet my lunch money this is the place." 

They frowned, before following Frisk off the trail carefully, doing Their best to avoid the spiderwebs and other hazards of the unkept parts of the campground. It took about fifteen minutes of walking from the trail to get to the yellow and red flowers. It took another ten minutes of searching before the pair of them found what they were looking for. Underneath a rocky outcropping was a partially concealed cave opening. Frisk wandered over to it, and pulled out their flashlight. Pointing the light down, both teenagers noted that neither could see the bottom. Only the rocky walls, smoothed by runoff water. 

"This...is it?" They asked after a moment of staring. 

"Maybe."

"What do you mean, maybe?" They asked incredulously, sharply turning towards Their friend. 

"I mean maybe. I was six Risk. I don't remember it being partially hidden by an outcropping. I remember tripping...and falling straight down into a hole. I remember...yellow flowers like these all around the hole." Frisk bent down to gently grasp at the flowers in question. Their petals didn't give like a normal petal, instead offering resistance. They were stiff...almost like fake flowers. 

"I'm not jumping to my potential death on a maybe Frisk. Is it or isn't it?"

"The only way to know...is to jump." they explained, lifting their gaze to meet Theirs. 

The two held that contact for a while, before They yielded in the end, looking away with a scoff. 

"You were six," They conceded, "You probably just didn't notice it before you fell. I'm sure it's right."

"Thanks Risk."

"Yeah, whatever. Come on, let's get the others. We'll leave this evening...before the sun fully sets."

"Right."

***

When they got back to the Cabin, K was waiting outside for them. He made his way over quickly, cutting them off before they could get too close. His voice was low, in sharp contrast to how casually he held himself. 

"How'd it go?"

"We found it." a smile split his face.

"I just finished setting everything out. Eliza had your sister distracted making soup."

"Sam doesn't like cooking."

"Eliza told her it was her favorite." K shrugged, before gesturing towards the outhouse. Where they stood, they could see a bundle of bags stacked against the structure, covered loosely with twigs. "Everything's ready to go."

"How are we going to leave without eating?" Frisk piped up, concerned by the notion. 

"So...you both know how my older bro's a P.O.S. yeah?" They didn't like where this was going.

"Yeah, he's in jail right now. What about it?"

"Before we left I was in his room and found something that could put your sis--"

"We're not drugging Sam. Maybe if it was Myra, but not Sam."

Silence fell between the three, the prior levity completely gone from their postures. 

"So do you want the good news, or bad news?"

"K...I might actually hurt you."

"It was barely anything. She won't be out for that long. An hour or two, at the most."

"Frisk, I'm going to kill him and offer his Soul to the Monsters."

"Hey now." K shot back, his hands up placatingly. "I'm just helping."

"Why the fu--How, is this helping?" They all but hissed the words.

"Now you don't have to lie to her. You can leave your note, that you've been carrying around too. Yes," he continued before They could ask, "I know about it. I saw it one night sticking out of your back. No I don't agree with you leaving it at all...but I acknowledge the legal benefits."

"Now you sound like my brother," They complained with a groan, "Whatever." They jabbed a finger into K's chest. "You're personally apologizing to her when we get back."

"Fair enough," K soothed, lowering his hands at last, "We'll get Eliza and head out. Free the monsters. Be back for breakfast. Should be easy, right?"

"Heh...right."

They gave one last Glare towards K, before the three of them made their way towards the cabin. They could feel Their sins crawling on Their back as They followed the others into the house to retrieve Eliza. They only had so much sunlight.

***

Sam startled awake, the book she had been reading dropping from her grasp as adrenaline surged through her body. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, outside of the Trouble Brigand no longer being in main part of the cabin, Sam stood and made her way over towards the Stew. She poured five bowls carefully, giving herself the least amount. She carefully brought each bowl of soup over towards the dining table, and set forks and napkins out as well. She poured a cup of juice for each of the children, and set a bottle of water by her own bowl. Looking over her good work. 

"That'll do." she turned on her heel and went to the door, calling out as loud as she could for the four trouble makers. Silence greeted her ears. Concern bubbled in the pit of her stomach. She wandered over to the book that had fallen on the ground, and plucked the paperback off it's spot on the ground. A slip of paper fell forward. At first, she thought it was her bookmark...but...there her bookmark sat, nestled securely between the pages. 

"Hey, guys?" she called against absently, as her fingers unfolded the parchment. "Dinner's ready..." her words died in her throat as she read over the message. 

Sam,  
Thank you for convincing the others to take us out here. I know it wasn't easy for you to get the days off of work. You've always encouraged us, even when I know you didn't fully believe us all the time. We're going to free the Monsters Underground. When we return, I want you to know that your belief means to the world to me. I want to bring Justice to the Monsters trapped underground, that I might later bring Justice to you as well. I want to hear you laugh fully again--not the small panicked giggles you've made lately. You are the only one I'm telling. Please let the other's family's know that we're all doing this of our own free will and are of sound mind. I love you. Don't worry too much.  
-Your Risk

The stew steamed from it's spot on the table, as Sam slowly backed into the wall. Her gaze drifted outside towards still bright woods, and she was at once gripped with Fear. 

"Oh...Risk...what have you done?"

**Author's Note:**

> Frisk is referred to as they/them/their  
> Risk is referred to as They/Them/Their as They are the protag of this story.  
> Eliza is she/her  
> K is he/him  
> Sam is she/her


End file.
